The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-04-02

money lent on COIIalerai, costly personal
effects, plate, pictures. lewelry, brio a
hrac, furniture, Nc, while the portion
that never escapes taxation is that " hose
exemption would most couduce to the
interest of the State, as machinery, agri
cultural tools aud implements, &c, the
cost of all of which whenever and how
ever increased. Is always reflected upon
the cost of production; or mOrtg ages, the
taxation OF which almost invariably
tends to Increase the rate of interest to
those who manly borrow on such secur-
ity for the purpose of building or other
wise improving real estate. And it must
be further remembered that all the re-
quirements of the State and county for
revenue are imperative, the failure of any
portion OF "a given description of property
to meet its relative liabilities, necessarily
increases the burden that must be i'm
posed upon the remainder: How then
can taxation be equaIIzed? WhaL method
can we advocate which will diminish
equitably the assessment of real. and in
crease eqnitably the assessabe basis of
personal property? This, gentlemen is
the present local problem to the solution
of which intelligent discussion should be
invited. 1t would hardly be worth while
for any intelligent man to hope for the
early adoption of anything like an ideal
system III Maryland. | mean "A system
approaching perfection, in its just aud
equitable apporrionment of the burdens
of taxation, simply for the reason that if
such "a system were formulated oy a COM
MISSION of the mos intelligent men the
State could produce. it would be so far
i'll advance OF the opinions and ideas OF
the average Legislator at Annapolis that
its defeat could be safely predicted. On
the other hand we can never reasonably
hope for a very marked measure of equal
lZatlon OF assessment, until the present
method OF imposing one uniform rate OF
taxation on all kinds of property is abau-
doneu. As a condition precedent to this
ultimate realization, public opinion must
be- educated to a full conviction of the
crudities, Irregularities, and impertec
tons OF our present system. And don t
believe this will ever be done by partizan
methods, but by the active political IN
tiuence of educated intelligence. working
through non partiZan means in all mat
tiers pertaining to municipal and local
government. In other words. | believe
in the divorce of National issues and
local business issues. that they should be
independent, and that in selecting men
to NIL business positions in the public
service, diridual fitness and good be-
haviour should be solely considered.
1t doesn require very much intelli-
sence to suggest system of taxation
better than our present one, but | shall
detferent:ally submit my own opinion for
your criticism. In my judgment capital
IN, hnt ,b, l, IL
exempt from taxation, and the value OF
earnings, or income should always bear
it. Let me illustrate what | mean. \
small farmer after receiving notice from
your county Treasurer that the sheriff.
with an execution, will be upon him if
he doesn't pay his taxes before April 1st,
in CONSERVATION Eurries into Elkton to
avert this threatened calamity. He is
harrassed to make both ends meet He
has worked hard all the year, and his
tax bill owing to the floods and storms
which have swept over our county and
entailed large expenditures for rebuilt
roads and bridges, is larger than usual.
After paying for his fertilizers and get
ting frlghttully low price for what he
has grown he almost despairingly ad
mits that he doesn't Jeliere lie riU luce
anythtng ltft to pay his ures trtM. In
other words that lie has no surplus earn
ings on hand or surplus produce to sell
by which to pay, because he has pro-
duced only enough tor his mere neces-
sites and expenses for the year, and
possibly may have fallen short of that.
1t Is plain that his individual earnings,
his own surplus production or as he puts
it "1rhdt lie has left, affords him the only
means of paying. This means ineome,
the earnings OF his year. Stated as
a principal then, the net production of a
community, the combinsd net earnings
OF all 1t 5 citizens, Is III reality the only
fund on which any system of taxation
can draw. This Is very plain. The in
divldual Taxpayer has just so much or
SO little surplus after the years expenses
are paid, from which to pay, that you
eau increase his capacity to pay, by
multiplying the directions in which the
demand for taxes is made. You can di-
vide up the items on his tax bill, as much
as you pleaSe-ta2 on reai-taX on per-
sonal-tax on stock-tax ON implements
\ GU may make the bill as long as the
moral law, but you can't increase the
size of his purse, which contains no more
than his net earnings for the year. Here
then we have the true idea in my judg-
ment of legitimate taxation--a mans
income, the vau3 of his surplus must
pay it. 1t all cores to that in the end
Hence believe that the most equitable
and just tax is an income tax, not one
upon net surplus or income. for this
would be tax upon thrift, since any
one could avoid the tax by spending all
his income, while the economical man
who saved his income would be burdened
with the tax, while the more extrava-
gent escaped, but q tar upoH tie income
oltue Of Il mans gross annual earnings. |
am aware OF the popular prejudice against
All Income tax IN any shape. But it is
prejudice. As IA tax, it isn't
half 81 InquislCOrial as IA thoroughly as
sessed tax on personal property, which
takes down every picture from your wall,
and prizes into every nook and corner of
your home for concealed treasure of in-
trlnsic value. Besides it is the only
means of reaching those who hold large
blocks of sureGies and $ ocks which to So
large extent escape taxation altogether.
1t can be collected too. The vast ma
Jorlty OF our citizens are honest, and even
If such tax is made up by assessment
or estimate, correcter one can be made
by popular know ledge of men, as iudi-
Gated by manner OF living, and numerous
other Indications, than now is made on
personal estate by the average assessor.
When the National Government lev
led an income tax, the father of gen
tieman now III this room returned and
paid tax on his income, larger by more
than $1,000, the combined incomes of
Caroline county. | cite this case AS an
instance OF Cecil county integrity, to
which, equality of taxation, income or
otherwise, is always an incentive.
%. Land of cDur-e must always bear
a large proportion of the public burden.
as taxes are in the nature of a fixed
charge upon II, since the right of emf
nent domain resides in the Peep e, aud a
public tax represents the surrender of
their right to the individual
ca. Bank stock, railroad stock and
other similar kinds of personal property
represented by negotiable evidences
seem to be legitimate subjects of direct
taxation.
CD. As the income of an indi
vidual affords better evidence of the
real valne of his property than the mere
size of his estate so the income deriv-
able from building should be taxed, in
stead of its contents. Therefore rents
are legitimate source of revenue
the tax on which the landlord
can add to his rent, or if he
occupies his own building should paw
additional to his tax on the real. So on
business buildings they should pay
per centum on annual rental instead of
IN contents.
(4lTnere should be an annua assessment
or listing OF all species of property sub
lect to direct taxation. The present as
SAsSih ls haSiS Il u